Aeros Have Unique Connection With Rescued Cleveland Woman

(AKRON, OHIO) May 10, 2013 - The Akron Aeros are used to celebrating between the lines and winning championships. Despite winning the 2012 Eastern League Championship, the most exciting and rewarding news of the year came Monday with the rescue of the three women who were held captive for almost a decade in Cleveland. One, Gina DeJesus, has a unique connection to the Aeros.

Back in 2011, former minor league pitcher Dennis Bair approached the Aeros with an idea. For the last 12 years, Bair's company, the BairFind Foundation, has used sports to draw attention to missing children by putting their photographs on team poster giveaways. Bair had known DeJesus' family since 2004, the year the then 14-year-old disappeared, and he wanted to put her on the 2011 Akron Aeros team poster.   

The Aeros were glad to help the BairFind Foundation will the project and a missing-person ad featuring DeJesus appeared in the upper-right corner of the 2011 team poster. (Here's a WEWS-TV report with Dennis Bair talking about this project: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcHDzsj4MNU).

"Everyone with the Aeros celebrated the safe rescue of these three women. We're so happy they are reunited with their loved ones," said Aeros General Manager Jim Pfander. "We are proud to support the work of Dennis and his BairFind Foundation and were thrilled to be part of the process."

Earlier this week, Bair told KDKA-TV's Ralph Iannotti it was a miracle and that DeJesus' family always held out hope for their loved one, thinking that she would be found someday.

"I always wondered what it would be like when I met Gina, and, now, I'm going to meet her," Bair said. "I might just break down and cry."

The BairFind Foundation is funded through private donations and corporate sponsors. For more information, visit the website at: BairFind.org.

KDKA's May 6 interview with Dennis Bair talking about Gina DeJesus, the Aeros poster and more: http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2013/05/06/missing-woman-found-alive-in-cleveland-has-pittsburgh-ties/